Shiratama Zenzai is a traditional Japanese dessert and it is a red bean soup made using azuki beans. It is usually served warm with mochi, a glutinous rice ball. The texture is similar to the Chinese tang yuan. In Japan, it is traditionally served with grilled glutinous rice cake.
Boil the red bean with water for 1 hour or until beans are soften and mushy.
Add in the sugar and stir well.
Put in a blender to puree the soup for a smoother consistency.
Mochi:
Put the sweet rice flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly add in the warm water, while stirring to form a dough. The dough can’t be too wet, or it will not hold its shape. Cover with a damp towel.
Roll the red bean or mung bean paste into tiny round balls and set aside for wrapping.
Now boil some water in a small pot, take out a small piece of the dough, about 1” in diameter, wrap the fillings and seal it, and roll into round balls.
While you are assembling, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the balls and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking.
Remove from the pot once the balls started to float to the surface. Add the balls in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Add in the balls into the red bean soup only when you are about to serve.
Notes
Use Azuki red bean for cooking the red bean soup
You can also buy store bought mochi for to save time